3 ways with spinach

Oh, Popeye, you poor fool. Eating the good stuff straight from the can when you could have enjoyed it in a bright, minty salad, creamy soup or spongy pan-fried dumplings.

Spinach-and-sweet potato soup

Heat 2T oil in a pan and sauté 1 sliced onion for 2 minutes until soft but not brown. Stir in 2 crushed garlic cloves and 4 chopped spring onions and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 peeled and cubed sweet potato and cook for 5 minutes, stirring continually, until it begins to soften.

Pour in 2 1⁄2 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil, then simmer for 8–10 minutes, or until the sweet potato is almost cooked.

Add 500 g chopped baby spinach and cook for a further 3–5 minutes, or until the spinach starts to wilt. Remove from the heat and add a handful of basil, 1⁄2 t ground nutmeg and juice of 1⁄2 lemon. Season to taste.

Cool slightly and blend in a food processor until smooth. Pour into bowls while still warm and drizzle with olive oil or cream. Serve with Parmesan wafers and bread.

To make the Parmesan wafers, preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with greased baking paper. Sprinkle 1 cup finely grated Parmesan onto the paper in circles. Bake for 8–10 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

Baby marrow ribbon salad with hazelnuts, mint and spinach

Shave 250 g baby marrows into ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Pan-fry with 1 clove minced garlic in
1 T olive oil over a high heat until charred.